dumpster

noun

dump·​ster ˈdəm(p)-stər How to pronounce dumpster (audio)
variants or less commonly Dumpster
: a large trash receptacle

Examples of dumpster in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Blain-Cruz and Jacobs-Jenkins attempted to counter the rampant sexism in the movie — which includes a scene where a woman is tossed into an aforementioned dumpster — by fleshing out the characters of Apollonia and Revolution members Wendy and Lisa and exploring the Kid’s mental health issues. Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 6 Nov. 2025 Contributor Yelena Moroz Alpert says this Dyson Animal 3 saved a dirty carpet in her home that was destined for the dumpster. Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 5 Nov. 2025 Thorne finished in second, with the blueberry coming in third and the dumpster-diving contestant, Mike, winning the grand prize. Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025 The argument continued in the distance, not far from a dumpster brimming with refuse that spilled onto the ground around it. Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dumpster

Word History

Etymology

dump entry 1 + -ster (originally in the trademarked name Dempster Dumpster, applied to mechanically loaded refuse containers produced by the Dempster Brothers Company of Knoxville, Tennessee)

First Known Use

1937, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dumpster was in 1937

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dumpster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dumpster. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.

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